Container filling machine



March 17, 1953 A. c. EVERETT 2,631,769

CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR.

BY I4r-7fiur C 5 1/9/1 77 8+ e ma l- A. C. EVERETT CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE March 17, 1953 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed March 30, 1948 Patented Mar. 1 7, 1955 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE Application March 30, 1948, Serial No. 17,947

12 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a 'containerfilling machine. 7

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved container filling machine of the type having a plurality of filling nozzles and elevating platforms for supporting and elevating the containers into filling engagement with the nozzles and which is characterized by novel provision for releasing the supporting platform when undue resistance to elevating movement is encountered, such as when a jam occurs, and for thereafter discontinuing operation of the machine upon detection of an incompletely elevated platform to permit the operator to correct the abnormal condition and thus prevent damage during subsequent operation of the machine.

With this object in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the container filling machine and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification. In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. l is a plan view of a container filling machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the container supporting and elevating platforms in difierent positions of elevation; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of a'safety switch embodied in the present invention and shown in different positions of operation; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the container supporting and elevating mechanism; Fig. 6 is a plan view detail as seen from the line 6+6 of Fig. 5, some of the parts being shown in cross section; and Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram to be referred to.

The present invention contemplates the provision of safety mechanism for a bottle filling machine and more particularly for a rotary filling machine of the general type illustrated and described in the United States patent to Everett, No. 2,136,421, issued November 15, 1936, wherein a rotary unit is provided with a plurality of elevating platforms to which successive bottles to .befilled are transferred. During the continuous rotation of the unit, the platforms are elevated to present the bottles into sealing engagement with their respective filling nozzles, the latter being arranged to extend into the mouth of the bottleand the filling operation being effected by the evacuation of the bottle in accordance with the well known vacuum principle. Upon completion ofthe filling operation, the elevating platters??? a in leg t trans e l e nd the filled bottles are transferred onto a discharge conveyor during the continuous movement of the machine.

. In the operation of such prior filling machines the containers, such as bottles, are required to be in substantial alignment with their respective filling nozzles to permit the latter to extend into the mouth of the container and into sealing relation when the containers are elevated by the platforms, and, in the exent that a misaligned or defective container is elevated a jam may occur causing breakage of the container or damage to the nozzle or elevating parts. Defective containers which may cause trouble include those having offset neck portions and those in which the bottom of the bottle is rounded or irregular so that the bottle may tilt and effect misalignment of the mouth portion with the nozzle and in either case the edge of the bottle may engage the edge of the nozzle during the elevating operation to cause a jam. Other defects include a narrow or choked neck bottle which may prevent the entrance of, or cause jamming of, the nozzle in the neck of the bottle during the elevating operation. If the machine is permitted to continue in operation in this condition, further damage may result at the discharge station when the jammed bottle engages the discharge guide rails, or, at the receiving station where an empty bottle is to be transferred onto the platform.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made for releasing the elevating mechanism in the event of undue resistance during the elevating operation, indicating an obstruction such as a bottle jammed betwen the supporting and elevating platform and the filling mechanism, thus preventing breakage of the bottle or damage to the operating parts, and, provision is further made for thereafter stopping the machine when an incompletely elevated platform is detected to permit the operator to relieve the jammed condition.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the present invention is illustrated as embodied in a rotary bottle filling machine of the type illustrated and described in the Everett Patent No. 2,136,421 wherein a source of supply of the liquid with which the bottles are to be filled is contained within a supply tank I8 and provision is made for filling the bottles by a plurality of bottle filling mechanisms, indicated generally at [2, during continuous movement of the bottle filling mechanisms and the bottles as they are supported upon elevating platforms l4 carried by a continuously rotating unit, indicated generally at IE.

In the operation of the illustrated bottle filling machine, the empty bottles are transferred from an incoming conveyor i8 onto successive elevating platforms I4 of the rotary device by a continuously rotating transfer wheel the bottles being engaged by carrier arms 22 mounted on the platforms i l and arranged to position the bottles in alignment with the filling heads 12.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5, each bottle supporting and elevating platform i4 is secured to the upper end of a rod 24 which is mounted for vertical reciprocation in a bracket 26 attached to an annular member 28 carried by a to prevent rotation of the platform and to maintain the platform in vertical alignment during reciprocation thereof.

As herein illustrated, novel elevating mechanism, indicated generally at 46, is arranged to cooperate with the rod 2 to effect elevation of the platforms l4 and the bottles supported thereon into operative engagement with the nozzles 42 of the filling mechanism i2 during the continu- 'ous rotation of'the machine, the elevating mechanism being characterized by its ability to be released from operative engagement with the elevating rod 24 upon undue resistance being applied to the elevating movement. As best shown in Fig; 5, the elevating mechanism comprises a vertically reciprocable member 44 slidingly mounted on a vertical slide bar 46 attached to the supporting bracket 26, the elevating member 44. being maintained in engagement with the slide bar by gibs 4B. The elevating member 44 is arranged to be. reciprocated by a stationary ring cam 50 in cooperation with a cam roll 52 carried by the member 44.

The elevating rod 24 extends. freely through a bore 54 in the member 44. and is provided with a shouldered portion 5%. adjacent its lower end arranged to. cooperate with a roller 58 carried by an arm 68. pivotally mounted at 62. in an extension 6.4. from the upper end of the elevating member 44. The roller 58 is held in. operative engagement with the shouldered portion 56 by a rela-v tively strong spring connected to the arm 60, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

From the description thus far it will be seen that in. the operation of the machine, when the roll carrying member 44 is elevated by the ring cam 51!, the yieldable engagement of the roller 58 with the shouldered portion 56 of the rod effects elevation of the platform unit I4. With this construction it will be seen that in the event the elevator platform should meet with undue resistance so as to overcome the tension of the spring 85 during the elevating operation, the roller 53 will ride over the shouldered portion of they rod 24, thus releasing the driving connection and preventing further elevation of the, platform l4 and protecting the. operating parts from, damage.

Provision is further made in the illustrated embodiment of the invention for detecting an un-. elevated or partially elevated latform at, a predetermined point in the rotary progress of the elevating units, and for stopping the machine when an unelevated platform is detected in order to permit the operator to correct the abnormal condition so as to avoid damage to the parts during subsequent operation of the machine.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 the elevating platforms M are provided with depending arcuate skirt portions I5 coextensive with the radius of rotation of the rotary driven unit is, and, are normally elevated through the connections described, from a lowered or transfer level, indicated at A, to an elevated position, indicated at B, to present the bottles into operative filling position with the nozzles 42. In the event that a platform is prevented from attaining its fully elevated position, as indicated at C, wherein a nozzle 42 has jammed in the narrow neck-portion of a defective bottle, the platform is arranged to engage and operate a switch, indicater at It, disposed in the path of an incompletely elevated platform at a point immediately beyond the station at which the platform would normally have arrived at its fully elevated position;

The switch '10 forms part of an electrical circuit to the driving motor '52, and, asshown in Fig. 7, the motor circuit includes the main lines H; a push button switch '16 arranged when closed to energize a relay 18 forming a part of a conventional motor switch 89 to start the motor, the switch being inserted in the relay circuit 82. In operation, the switch it, which may comprise a micro-switch, is normally closed to permit continuous operation of the machine, and, when the switch is operated by engagement of an incompletelyelevated platform 14, the relay circuit is opened to. deenergize the relay and effect open-, ing of the motor switch 86 to stop the machine.

The switch IE1 is preferably constructed and arranged to be operated by an incompletely. elevated platform bein moved therepast at different positions of elevation so. that the. machine will bestopped by an incompletely elevated 13121.11". form including an unelevated or partially. ele-. vated platform which has been; released from its actuating mechanism and has. come to rest in any horizontal plane. defined between. its lowermost. or transfer level and a level immediately below its maximum position of: elevation. As herein shown, thev switch. box is preferably sup-v ported in a, downwardly inclined angular position in the direction of movement of the platforms, approximate1y45 degrees relative to the horizon.- tal plane of movement of; the platforms, andis provided. with a switch arm 84' arranged to be rocked downwardly at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, parallel to the, plane of the angularly disposed switch box. A shown in; Fig. 1-, the: switch arm 84. extends substantially radially of the rotary driven unit t6,- when in itsv closed, or inoperative positionand is. provided with aconical roller 861-rotatab1y mounted upon a vertical axis; inthefree end of the; arm 84. The upper end of-the cone in its normal position is disposed immediately below thelower edge of the depending arcuate skirt portion I5 of'a platform when, a fullyelevated-position, viewed. in a horizontal plane, see,- Fig; 5,, and-, when viewed from above, see Fig. 1, the upper. end: ofthe cone is. disposed. substantially in alignment with or preferably immediately beyond the radius defining the-outer surface or periphery of the skirt portion'li. The lower portion or base of the, conical roller 86 extends intothe path of an unelevated platform skirt. l5 and is provided with a shouldered port-ion 88-. With thisconstruction itwill be seen that in theoperation of the machine, the conical portion of the roller is arranged to be engaged by the'lower edge of the skirt portion of a'platform which has been stopped at a horizontal position within the range defined by the upper and lower limits of the cone surface, and that any platform which has been stopped at a horizontal level below this plane will engage the shouldered portion of the roller. In either event, engagement of an incompletely elevated platform with the roller will effect rocking of the switch arm 84 to open the circuit to the motor and stop the machine.

In the normal operation of the machine, and,

upon continued operation after a released platform has been reset, the elevating member 44 is positively lowered by the upper portion of the cam 56 in cooperation with the roller52, and, the rod 24 and platform M are positively returned to transfer level by the engagement of the underside of the member 44 with a disc or washer 90 secured to the lower end of the rod 24 by nuts 92 cooperating with a threaded end portion 94 of the rod. The filled bottles are then received be-' tween guide rails 9'6, 98 arranged in the path of the bottles to remove the same from the platforms and to guide them onto the discharge end of the conveyor, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the above description it will be seen that the present container filling machine embodying a plurality of bottle supporting and elevating platforms for elevating the bottles into operative position with the filling nozzles of the machine is provided with elevating mechanism capable of being released when undue resistance to elevation is encountered whereby to prevent damage to the operating parts; and is further provided with control mechanism adapted to discontinue the operation of the machine when an incompletely elevated platform is detected to enable the operator to correct the abnormal condition and thus prevent damage during subsequent operation of the machine.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a container filling machine a filling nozzle, a container supporting platform arranged to be elevated to present a container into operating filling position during continuous movement of the platform, elevating means including a releasable connection normally cooperating with the platform and adapted to be completely disengaged when an undue resistance to elevating movement is encountered, and means disposed in the path of and arranged to engage the platform at any point of elevation below its completely elevated position for discontinuing operation of the machine when. an incompletely elevated platform is detected.

2. In a container. filling machine, a container supporting member,..a filling nozzle and means for elevating the container supporting member into filling position with relation to the filling nozzle, said means comprising driving means and means for completely disconnecting the driving means and container supporting member when the latter encounters undue resistance in its elevating movement, and means disposed in the path of and arranged to engage the platform at any point of elevation below its completely elevated position for discontinuing operation of the machine when an incompletely elevated platform is detected. I

- 3. In a container filling machine, a container supporting platform arranged to be elevated to present'a container into operative filling position durin continuous movement of the platform, elevating means including a resiliently engageable releasable connection normally cooperating with the platform and adapted to be completely disengaged when an undue resistance to elevat ingmovement is encountered, and means disposed in the path of and arranged to be engaged by an incompletely elevated platform at any point of elevation below its completely elevated position during movement thereof subsequent to said disengagement for discontinuing the operation of the machine.

' 4. In a container filling machine, a container supporting platform arranged to be elevated to present a container into operative filling position during continuous movement of the platform in a horizontal plane, elevating means including a releasable connection normally cooperating with the platform and adapted to be completely disengaged when an undue resistance to elevating movement is encountered, and means disposed in the path of and arranged to be engaged by an incompletely elevated platform at any point of elevation below its completely elevated position during subsequent movement thereof in a horizontal plane for discontinuing operation of the machine. 1

- 5. In a container filling machine a filling nozzle, a container supporting platform arranged to be elevated to present a container into operative filling position during continuous movement of the platform, elevating means including a releasable connection normally cooperating with the platform and adapted to be completely disengaged when an undue resistance to elevating movement is encountered, driving means for the machine including an electric motor, and a switch for said motor disposed in the path of and arranged to be operated by an incompletely elevated platform which has come to rest at any .point below its completely elevated position to discontinue the operation of said driving means. 6 In a rotary type filling machine, a plurality of filling nozzles, a plurality of container supporting platforms arranged to be elevated to present successive containers into operative filling position during continuous rotary movement of the platform, elevating means for each platform including a releasable connection normally cooperating with the platform and adapted to be completely disengaged when undue resistance to elevating movement is encountered, driving means for the machine includin an electric motor, a circuit for the motor, and a switch in said motor circuit arranged to open the circuit and discontinue operation of the machine when engaged by an incompletely elevated platform which has come to rest at any position below its completely elevated position, said switch being disposed in the path of rotary movement of the platforms and engageable with an arcuate portion thereof at a point in the rotary travel of a platform immediately beyond a position in which the platform would normally be in its maximum position of operation.

7. In a rotary type container filling machine, a filling'nozzle, a container supporting platform adapted to be elevated from a transfer level to operative filling position during continuous 7 8 may movement crane platform riv ng failed to reach it- ;iE BB1.-99 3m 9 e Y m the machine :includmg cl t a e, i sw'tch hav a a s i some a circuit for the motor, and a switch n said to be rocked in a downwardly inclined page circuit having an arm mounted to be ro ke relative .to the movement of the platform in a through an inclined plane and re rra ged o J??? horizontal nlane, and a ,genical roller mounted opened to discontinue operation of the 1.11., hine for rotation on a vertical ax s carried by said when engaged by a platform which has i arm, said roller being disposed in a PQSition to to reach its maximum position of elevation be engaged by a platform ,dispqseg in any horicome to rest at any point below said max. zontal plan between said transfer level nd a position at .a predetermined point in its warow, y 1.0 point immediately below the maximum position movement. of elevation of the platf rm to ,ope ihle the 8. In a rotary .tvpc container "filling :machi-ne. switch. a filling nozzle, :a container supporting platform 11. In a container filling machine, a filling p d 0 *be elevated from -a transfer level 129 nozzle, {a container supporting platform arranged operative filling position durin continuous 1ro- 15 to be elevated from a transfer level to nresent a tary movement .ofthe platform, :driving means container into operative filling position during for the machinejincluding ,an electric :motor and continuous movement ,of the platform, a, rod a circuit for the motor, a switch in ,said circuit mounted for vertical reciprocation attached to disposed :in the rotary :path 10f :said :platform and said platform and having ,a sholllde ied portion arranged "to :be opened :to discontinue operation adjacent its lower end, and means for elevating of the machine when engaged by \a :platform the qolatform comprising a positively recipro- Which has failedto reach'its maximum position cated member, a spring Eurged ,ar-m carried by of elevation at a'predetermined point in i-itsrroe said member and having va roller engageable tary movement, said switch having an arm withsaid shouldered portion to reflect elevation mounted to be rocked through an inclined plane of the platform when the member is elevated, when engaged by anarcuate portion of a *p a Said Sp g ed arm being rr nged to yie d form disposed. in any horizontal plane between and permit 'therollertoride over the shouldered said transfer level and a point immediately heportion to release the connection when an unlow its maximumpositionof elevation. due resistanceto elevating movement is encoun- "9. a rotary type container fillingmachine, tered. a'fi-lling nozzle, a containersupportin platform '12. In a container filling machine, a filling adapted to be -=elevated -from a'transfer level to nozzle, a container supporting platform aroperative filling position during continuous roranged to :be elevated. from .a transfer level to tary movement of the platform, and driving present a container vinto operative filling posimeans for themachineincludinganeleotric motion during continuous movement of the plattor and a circuit for-the motor, and a switch form, a rod mounted for verticalreciprodation in said circuit arranged'to be-opened .to disconattached :to-said p1atf0rm-and.:having a shoultinue operation of the 'machine when engaged dered portion adjacent its lower end, and-means by a platfor-mwhich'has failed to-reach its max.- -for elevating the platform comprising .a posiimum-position or elevation'at a predetermined 40 tively-reciprocated member, a spring urged arm point-in its rotary movement, said switch' having' carried loy said member and :having .a roller ena switcharm mounted to he rocked *in a -downgageable with said shouldered portion to effect wardly *inc'lmednlane relativ to the direction elevation of the platform when the-member is of movement of the platform 'in -a'-h0rizonta'1 elevated, saidfsprin urgedarm being arranged m n a conical ro'ilerticajyried rm to yield and permit the-rollerto ride over the and "mounted for -rotation on a vertical axis, s oulde ed -portion to release the connection said roller being disposed in -a position tohe when an undue resistanceto elevating moveengaged by a platform disposed i an hgriment is encountered, and means formedon-the zontal plane-between said transfer 'level d a lower end of therod-engageable bysaid'member point immediately belowthe ma-x-imugnposition 5 f r subseq en y ctin p ive r urn of th of elevation 'of the platform to operate the platform to transfer-level. H switch.

10. In a 'rotarytype *f llingmachine, a filling ARTHUR C.-EVERETT. nozzle, a container-supporting platform arranged to be elevated to present :2. container into opera- REEERENGESfiITED fi e fill p fi on urina nuous movement 'flhefollowing references are of record in the of the platform through a circular path in a file of this patent: horizontal plane, elevating means including a releasable connection cooperating with {the 'lfi -BAlEN s platform and ,adaptedto ;be disengaged when an Number :"Name Date undue resistance-to elevating movement is en- "648,382 Blakeslee y countered,,.and hs f machine "1}699;0fi2 'Goldberger V Jan; 15, '1929 including an electric imoton a circuit 'jor .the 9s4 -I pgood -.July 3 motor, and a switch in said. cirguitarrariged to 21361421 Everett 1 befopenedto' discontinue operation of theiln a- 55 251343117 'TFechhenIler 1939 chinewhen engaged'py aplatform whigh z has 2,443,132 Carter June 15,1948 

